iStrategy Labs has created a prototype bathroom mirror that takes selfies. Simply stand in front of the mirror, and the S.E.L.F.I.E mirror will snap a picture of you. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 2 years, “selfies” are all the rage, but it’s not just a fad for your teenage daughter. No, the selfie has been perfected by the likes of Ellen DeGeneres and the President himself (Obama).
Ellen famously broke the record for the most retweets on a single twitter photo when she posted a selfie at the Oscars alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and other A listers.
iStrategy Labs S.E.L.F.I.E. Mirror
The bathroom as we know it, is one of the most stereotypical locations of the modern selfie. This may be due to its reflective qualities or maybe just because it’s a place where we can close the door and experiment with odd poses in an attempt to capture our good side (tough luck). We have seen this epidemic filling twitter streams all over the world! The development of a high-tech bathroom selfie mirror may not be surprising seeing that a new study recently found that young adults love to tweet from the seat (fun read).
If you cracked open the Oxford Dictionary, you would find the term “selfie” defined like this.
“A photograph that one has taken of oneself typically one taken with a Smartphone or a webcam and uploaded to a social media website.”
Just for kicks, here’s how the term was used in a sentence. It’s okay to giggle.
“She then tweeted a “selfie” that shows her clearly wearing make-up.”
iStrategy Labs has a different definition for this wildly popular term. The “Self Enhancing Live Feed Image Engine.” The S.E.L.F.I.E. mirror takes pictures of you when stand in front of it and smile. No buttons or voice activation necessary. Smile detection software does all of the hard work for you. No more twisting your arm and tilting your head in weird angles.
An LED countdown timer will start to let you know when to show your good side. This is followed by a simulated flash that notifies you that the picture has been taken. S.E.L.F.I.E then automatically uploads the photo to twitter and posts it using a watermarked logo. See how all of this is possible in the next section.
READ: 5 High – Tech Toilets of the Future
How it Works
The S.E.L.F.I.E. Mirror operates using a two-way mirror. Behind the mysterious facade lies a Mac Mini that controls facial recognition software. This is why the mirror knows your standing there (creepy, I know). LED lights are controlled by Arduino to let you know when you need to shine those pearly whites. As you’ll see in the video below, the LED lights operate similar to a system used to start automotive races known as the “Christmas Tree.”
Main Components:
- Two Way Mirror
- Web Cam
- LED lights embedded behind mirror & controlled by Arduino, an open-source electronics prototyping platform.
- Mac Mini controlling Facial Recognition software
READ: 7 Smart Bathroom Products any Homeowner will Love
Response to the S.E.L.F.I.E. Mirror
Since the machine is taking the picture, is it truly considered a selfie? By definition, the S.E.L.F.I.E Mirror would not meet the criteria to be deemed a selfie. Maybe this new device will replace the photo booth. Could we be seeing new “Selfie Stations” at the mall in the near future?
Images courtesy iStrategy Labs
READ: The Well-Being Toilet Detects Nutritional Deficiencies in the Body; Doubles as Pregnancy Test
About the Author
Cheryl Khan is a designer with an affinity for technology. She secretly takes selfies of all her new hair-do’s and make-up experiments but she knows, you probably do the same thing!